Fellow Sojourners

St. Mary’s Parish here in Annapolis is huge. A rough count is 15,000 parishioners. A daunting number. When I first joined the parish, I had no hope of ever feeling at home. Too big to be welcoming and too structured to be warm, St. Mary’s seemed an impenetrable community — good for my sacramental life but not much else.

Of course, I came to discover great life and love at St. Mary’s. To realize, as Paul says in today’s reading from Ephesians, the parishioners “are no longer strangers . . . but members of the household of God.” Further, such a community can embrace a doubting Thomas and his brothers and sisters. Although many years passed before I felt at home, I now see my fellow parishioners as fellow sojourners, companions for the journey.

Prayer: Creator of all Good, how lovely are the members of Your household.